12th Annual Washington Latino Youth Summit to Host More Than 300 Youth From Across the State

University of Puget Sound hosts the popular summit for the first time, Friday, May 6, 8 a.m.–3 p.m.

TACOMA, Wash. – Latino youth from across Washington state are coming together to encourage and support one another, and to chart a path for an engaged Latino citizenry and vibrant communities.

Proyecto MoLE will host the 12th annual Latino Youth Summit, engaging more than 300 youth in meaningful dialogue and thoughtful inquiry, on Friday, May 6, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. The summit will begin in Kilworth Memorial Chapel on campus, followed by workshops at various campus venues. See below for contacts for more information and a map of campus. The media are invited to attend.

“We are incredibly honored and excited to host this year’s Latino Youth Summit,” said Michael Benitez, University of Puget Sound’s Chief Diversity Officer and Dean of Diversity and Inclusion.

“As our university continues to be engaged with and serve as a resource to our local community, and at a time when we see continued growth among Latinos nationally and within the state of Washington, I can think of no more important work right now than to make connections, collaborate with and lift up the voices of young Latinos. Hosting the summit is an important step in demonstrating to Latinos across the state that University of Puget Sound values and welcomes their presence and voice.”

Launched in 2006 by the Northwest Leadership Foundation in Tacoma, Proyecto MoLE seeks to inspire, prepare, and mobilize Latino youth as leaders in their communities. The initiative aims to develop a new generation of Latino leaders by:

• promoting confidence and a positive self-concept 
• increasing Latino attainment of post-secondary education representation in professional career paths
• challenging Latinos to be a catalyst for change through lifelong civic engagement

Proyecto MoLE has impacted more than 5,000 Latino youth across the state of Washington over the past 11 years of hosting the annual summit.

With this year’s theme as “Stronger than the Struggle,” the summit will encourage participants in their pursuit of post-secondary education, professional career paths, leadership, political activism, and community investment. Through workshops, inspirational speakers, and the Opportunities Fair summit, participants will recognize that they have the power to positively impact their community, both locally and nationally.

“Proyecto MoLE is leading the way, both in Tacoma and across the state, of lifting the voices of our Latino youth and seeing their own role for community change and action,” said community leader and activist Liesl Santkuyl.

“MoLE builds leadership within our Latino community, and students are change agents for themselves, their families, the Latino community, and the wider communities they live in. I have seen MoLE change the very fabric of our community—steady change that improves the lives of so many from within. It is a model of real community development.”